nike, home depot, keurig, and goya

"many a populist movement and union organizing drive has ended in defeat as a result of divisions in the working class based on other identities." michael zweig. "the working class majority"

how many of you work for wages? most i am thinking...and that's where the issue with identity politics starts...identity politics is a valid mechanism for bringing to light social injustices suffered by any given sub-group in a society...we all have our problems, albeit some decidedly more than others...no denying that...beyond calling attention to issues it doesn't do much towards ameliorating them because it is divisive...identity is a pharmakon...beneficial to a point...toxic after...at some point identity becomes exclusionary...erecting borders and it lapses into the "if you're not with us, you're against us" ( or " if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem" ) mentality that isolates it and hardens attitudes on the outside...the object is, if you want substantive change, to find the broadest point of "likeness" rather than "otherness"...and virtually all of us work and we work for, and to the benefit, of the owners of the hegemonic culture...take a close look at your pay stub and tell me who is benefiting most from the hours you put in ( and what are you "benefits" like? or are there any? ) and your reliance on identity works for them in other ways as well...nike puts colin kaepernick in an ad and two things happen...their sales go up 31% and the other side burns their nike gear...nike doesn't care...about the burning ( the merchandise was already paid for ) about colin ( he was a vehicle to brand your "identity" with nike ), or about you, once you bought whatever nike apparel you were going to...one of the co-founders of home depot comes out in favor of trump and their stores that are open have a 6.4% jump in sales...related? cannot prove or disprove but it seems odd...keurig pulls its advertising from sean hannity and i see people destroying their coffeemakers on youtube videos and keurig sales go up...huh...goya? all i can find about goya is propagandistic nonsense...i am betting the trumpists are eating beans however...corporations have branded identity...they will manipulate anyone they can into a transaction that leaves them with the wealth any everyone else with "stuff"...identity as buttress to hegemonic culture...they are taking it to the bank...yes we should address social issues...and there are a raft of them to address across the spectrum of this alleged society...it is only going to get done if we find commonalities...they exist...if we don't start looking for them soon we are not going to get very much but cosmetic changes at the very best.